Canditature letter content

In the following you will find detailed information and notes on all important sections in the application letter. The elements and details show the HR manager that you can write a professional application and that you are a perfect fit for the job.

Letterhead
The so-called letterhead consists of important contact details, date and subject. It is important that you are as careful as possible. Typos and rotated numbers in your contact details may prevent you from being reached; errors at the recipient, however, are always interpreted negatively and as an indication of a sloppy way of working. This is how the letterhead is composed:

Sender / contact details
Only the address in the sender? That is clearly not enough! After all, the aim of the cover letter is to get feedback. This is usually done through a phone call or email. Your personal data is here: first name and surname, address (street + house number, postcode + place of residence), telephone and email address. If you like, you can add a link to your application homepage, an application video or a business profile on LinkedIn or Xing (update beforehand!).

Recipient
As far as the correct spelling is concerned, bosses or HR managers are always very picky and do not forgive mistakes in the company name. The recipient and the addressed employer and contact person are listed three lines below your contact details. The recipient address is structured in the classic way and must be absolutely free of errors. It is therefore worth checking twice or three times to see whether the company name is spelled accurately in the address.

Company name (including GmbH, KG, AG, SE, etc.)
First and last name of the contact person
Address (street & house number, zip code & city)

date
The date in the application letter is right-justified below the recipient. What can you do wrong with the date? Answer: Lots of it! For example, if it is not up to date. If you overwrite an older template, the date is easily forgotten! An application from the day before yesterday is unfortunately no longer worth a damn. Please pay attention to the topicality: Today! It should be up to date. Ideally, you should select the shipping date for this. So when you want to send the application. We find the form “DD.MM.YYYY”, where the missing digits are filled with a zero (“01.05.”) Bureaucratic. Save yourself the zeros and write out the month instead.

Subject
The subject line has the largest font size in the cover letter. It is particularly noticeable and is usually read first. Make it as concrete as possible and not longer than one line. The subject is an important and essential part of a cover letter. Here readers can see at a glance what the cover letter is about without reading the entire text. The fact that the letter is an application is useful information for the reader. So the word “application” is an essential part of the subject. Very important: never write the word “subject”! If necessary, use a “reference line”. Means: The reference to the job advertisement comes under the subject line – in a smaller font size. Example:
Application for a job as a saleswoman
Your job offer on karrieresprung.de, reference number: 2021/138

Salutation
Your letter of application should always begin with a personal salutation. The phrase “Dear Sir or Madam” seems too impersonal. Try to research a contact person in advance. The address also includes the name of the HR manager – in this example “Mr. Muster”. This increases the chances that the cover letter will quickly get into the right hands. It is also good if you have already inquired about the right contact person. If this is not mentioned in the job advertisement, a call to the HR department or a look at the company homepage and career page as well as LinkedIn and Xing can also help.

The justification in the application letter
At first glance, the justification in a cover letter looks cool and tidy. Nevertheless, it is better to use the flutter substitute (left-aligned text). Reason: Justification is much more difficult to read because the gaps between the individual words in justification are different. The text in flutter is therefore much more pleasant for the reader. In your application, content and readability are more important than appearance.

Introduction / the first sentence
The introduction to the cover letter should arouse interest. With the introductory sentence “I hereby apply …” it does not succeed. Even phrases like “I was very happy to read your job advertisement …” are taboo. They are not wrong, but empty empty phrases and boring. The first sentence should get caught, attention and sympathy. This applies even more to speculative applications.
It is good if you provide important keywords and arguments for yourself in the introduction. This makes the application letter more individual. And they prove that it is not a “mass application”. Also helpful: questions that every HR manager asks. You answer this in the first sentence. For example: Why do you want THIS job with THIS employer? What are your specific strengths? Why are you the perfect candidate for the position? What is your personal work style? – Examples of getting started:

At the beginning I would like to give you three reasons why you will benefit from me as a new employee: 1. … 2. … 3. …
Basically we’ve known each other for a long time: I’ve been a loyal customer of your company for __ years. I especially like your product _____ …
Are you looking for a decisive and experienced _____ for whom social competence, organizational talent and assertiveness are not just empty words, but lived practice? Then read on: …
I was really happy to get to know you personally at the _____ fair last week. The appearance of your company and the conversations with your employee, Mr. Max Muster, made a lasting impression on me and reinforced my desire to complete my _____ training with you. Therefore I am applying for …
After a good ten years of professional experience in the _____ field, I would like to face new challenges. I am convinced that I will be able to use my professional qualifications and team-oriented way of working profitably with you. Because…

Main part
The main part is about your personal qualifications, the soft skills. The hard skills can already be found in the résumé. Applicants score points by demonstrating clearly and convincingly that all the requirements of the job are equal to them. But please do not use empty phrases like “I am a team player, committed, motivated.” Even if it is true, it sounds like a cliché. In order to stand out from the crowd, it is better to write briefly about a concrete example and indirectly

prove the skills
Important: The skills and knowledge described should always have something to do with the job. So don’t list what you’ve done, but select what is relevant. Never underestimate the power of numbers in your cover letter! Anything you can quantify should be mentioned. Paper is patient, numbers are reliable! Examples:
“During my internship at ___ I was passionate about the ___ project that I was allowed to organize and manage. In order to get my colleagues on board and to inspire them, I have -…. A complete success! Within two weeks we were able to … “
“One of my strengths lies in the practical solution of problems in the operational process. Thanks to the good cooperation in the team and the willingness to work quickly (even on weekends), I have often succeeded in minimizing or avoiding a production downtime by __ percent. “
“… I headed a team of 10 there. In this role I have successfully coordinated several projects and worked out a solution for the XY task with my team in less than two weeks. “

The wording in the cover letter
The expression in a cover letter should not sound too swollen – but if you slip too much into colloquial language, the cover letter quickly sounds third-rate. Hence, you need to choose your language wisely when applying for a job.
Instead of the flippant word “job” it is better to use “advertised position” or “workplace”. That sounds much more serious. For example, the word “often” can be represented as “generally”.

Confident writing style when writing your application
In no case should you write your cover letter too passively, employers swear by self-confident employees. Try to come across as tough and confident with your wise choice of words.
I “am deployed” sounds like you are remote controlled. Formulations such as “I am currently working” or “currently my area of ​​responsibility” sound much more self-determined and dynamic.
Tip: Don’t make yourself too small, because you also have something to offer the company, namely your valuable workforce and lots of specialist skills!

The lists in the cover letter
The application letter is not a pressed sausage. It is a mistake to think that the more there is in it, the more impression you can make. On the other hand, it is important that as much overlap as possible with the job advertisement is worked out in the cover letter. Long strings of personal successes are of little help if they are not documented. A good tip is to communicate fewer details, but to provide plausible reasons: “I am able to work independently, as a team leader I currently lead the working group for quality management in training.”

The choice of words in the application letter
Be sure to ban everyday everyday language from your cover letter. But please don’t make the mistake of using stiff, puffy official German. In these grandiose sentence constructions, every verb becomes a noun and you have to read the sentences three times to understand the content. In particular, the introductory sentence should be formulated to the point.
“Furthermore” is a clumsy, cumbersome phrase that doesn’t read well. Simple and common words, such as “Beyond”, make a text look much more pleasant. If your basic formulation is for the cover letter, you should reconsider the choice of words in detail as part of a fine-tuning.
Sometimes Google also helps to find a suitable word with the same content under the keyword “Furthermore synonym”. Try it. You crown your cover letter with a sophisticated choice of words. This also applies to the résumé.

The soft skills in the cover letter
Use the cover letter to present your personal characteristics (soft skills). It is not uncommon for the job advertisements to already list the desired characteristics (e.g. team-minded, reliable, resilient) that an applicant should bring with them. However, simply taking over the desired characteristics in the application letter and listing them succinctly would be too profane. After all, everyone can simply say that they have the required benefits. Therefore, you should not only list your good qualities, but also justify them. Why do you have all these qualities? (e.g. “I am able to work in a team, in the past few years I have been very successfully involved in the work group XY”). The soft skills you listed in your application letter should also be found in your job references so that they become a shoe.

The subjunctive in the application letter
You should use the subjunctive, the possible form, sparingly in a cover letter, if at all. Who, if not you, know that you “are and not “would be” a good reinforcement for the company. It is clear to you from the start that you would be sincerely “happy” and not “be happy” about an invitation to an interview. Do not make yourself too small in your cover letter, because the world of work is not looking for cowards, but people with a healthy sense of self-worth. Finding the right measure, however, requires a certain instinct – unfortunately there is no rule of thumb for this. But experience shows that you get better with every application!

The reason for the change in the cover letter
As a boss, would you hire someone just because they really want to leave another company? No! You would much rather hire a new employee who fits the vacancy perfectly, meets the requirements, is highly motivated and is really passionate about working for you.
How openly you as an applicant present your reasons for switching in an application must therefore be carefully considered. It may be true that you see no progress in your old company. Nevertheless, it should by no means be included in your cover letter, as it could be interpreted negatively. Some might think that it is also up to you if your opportunities for advancement do not really work out. Before you go on the black ice on this point, it is better to leave out the reasoning entirely. The top priority in the application process is of course: Never write something bad about your last employer, even if there are situations where it can be difficult. In the end, you are only hurting yourself! Diplomacy is also very beneficial in a cover letter. So: Reasons for a change belong better in the job interview and not in the application.

Truncated phrases in the application letter
5 euros for piggy bank. That was something long time before. The phrase “I’m looking for a new challenge” is in every third cover letter. If you view a lot of applications every day, this phrase comes out of your ears. “I read your ad with great interest” is the text in every fifth application. If you want to write a personal, individual application letter, you cannot avoid coming up with a good formulation yourself. Avoid the worn-out phrases that reveal that you didn’t feel like doing something yourself. The more personal the application letter is, the more the applicant is in the positive focus. This applies to all applications, including studies and training.

Company relation
If you have not already done so, you should now make a clear reference to the company in your cover letter – a connection between your motivation to work here and the skills presented. In short: it’s about your suitability and the added value you offer. It has proven itself if you research the Internet in advance of the application and consider the challenges associated with the job. Which know-how is particularly interesting for the employer? Write a short paragraph on how you could successfully apply this knowledge in the first few days. Here, too, it is not quantity that counts, but quality!
It has proven itself if you research the Internet in advance of the application and consider the challenges associated with the job. Which know-how is particularly interesting for the employer? Write a short paragraph on how you could successfully apply this knowledge in the first few days. Here, too, it is not quantity that counts, but quality!
“I have been developing and selling products and solutions for ____ for around 20 years. As a key account manager at ____, I was able to increase sales by __ percent through targeted optimization of the sales processes. In addition, customer satisfaction improved from __ to __ percent within two years. In this position, too, I would try … “
“Sustainable customer relationships are naturally close to my heart. At my current employer, I independently initiated a project to optimize existing customer management. After that, customer satisfaction increased measurably by around __ percent. I can well imagine that this is a successful approach for this position too, because I expand by … “
Conclusion
The final in the application letter needs another climax. Because the end remains in the head of the HR manager. Up to this point you sound competent and motivated and exude self-confidence. It has to stay that way. Unfortunately, the biggest application mistake you can make is the most common: the subjunctive. “I would be happy to hear from you.” Or: “I would be happy to explain my motivation in the interview …”
Such sentences sound sympathetically modest. In the final sentence, however, applicants appear insecure and small. It is better to be self-confident (not arrogant!) And express your willingness or pleasure to get to know you personally in the interview. Formulations:

“Have I piqued your interest? Then I look forward to a personal conversation. “
“I would be happy to convince you in a personal conversation that with me you will gain an employee who is as committed as he is experienced.”
“I look forward to your positive feedback with great pleasure.”
“If you have any questions, I am available by phone or email.”
“If you are looking for a competent, reliable and resilient employee, then I look forward to an invitation to an interview.”

3 additional options for the final part
Some employers require applicants to state their salary expectations or the earliest possible starting date in the job advertisement. You should never ignore such requests, but make sure to provide information about them.

1. Salary expectations
Salary expectations are always given as the gross annual salary. Additional benefits, such as vacation pay or capital-building benefits, are not mentioned. If you change jobs, use the current annual salary as a guide. You shouldn’t add more than 20 percent. It is ideal if you give a number that is as specific as possible (“46,580 euros”). This signals that you know exactly what you are worth. Examples:

“My gross salary is 32,530 euros per year.”
“In line with my professional qualifications, I think a salary of 43,880 euros is appropriate.”

2. Entry date
If you have to comply with a notice period according to the employment contract, you should mention this. The hint strengthens your negotiating position. You currently have a job! You can, however, ask for discretion with a so-called blocking note. Example formulation:
Since I am currently in an employment relationship that has not been terminated, I could start the position on MM / DD / YYYY at the earliest. Please treat this application confidentially and only call me back at the above number in the evening from 8 pm. “

3. PS in the cover letter
The letters PS stand for “postscript”. A little addendum. Because it is so unusual, the PS in the application letter is always noticed and read. Good for you! In the “PS” you can, for example, name your desired salary or starting date. Or formulate a personal and original note. This way, your application will be remembered even more. Example:
“PS: Please try to ignore the tie on my application photo. I don’t usually wear one either. “

Greeting & signature
The application letter ends formally with a greeting (classic: “Sincerely”) and your handwritten (not printed!) Signature. With your signature you document that the information and statements made are true. Please always sign with a (blue or black) pen or pen. Never pencil, felt-tip pen or fineliner.